Field judge, side judge question
 

I attended the Iowa/Pitt football game yesterday and noticed at halftime the FJ and SJ changed sidelines. Can anyone clarify why?
Thanks

Rule / mechanic change.

H and L should have switched sides as well.

They didn't. Do you know the reasoning behind changing sides?

I would be absolutely shocked if they didn't. Both wings are to switch at halftime -- this is the new mechanic at every level of college football.

Bob is correct... NCAA mechanics changed this year... H & S spend the first half on the pressbox sideline (opposite the chains) and move opposite the pressbox in the 2nd half.

The reasoning is twofold: 1) It gives the officials a chance to spend half the game on each sideline (ie: only getting yelled at for one half by each team). 2) There are a few teams (including one locally) that have the home team sideline opposite the pressbox, which means that under the old system, they never saw the L & F from any crews that worked in their conference.

The NFL has been doing it for years.

The H and the chains were on the Iowa sideline the entire game.

The L works the chains in the first half. The chains remain on the side opposite the press box.

Is it possible that the L got hurt at some point and the alternate (wearing a shirt with an H on it) had to take his place? I've seen things like that before... a Wisconsin game a few years back, the F got hurt and the alternate (wearing a B) entered the game, so on a FG kick/try there would be two B's under the uprights.